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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:06 Causes of Limb Ischaemia
1:59 Symptoms of Limb Ischaemia
2:49 Diagnosis of Limb Ischaemia
3:24 Treatment




limb ischaemia (ALI) occurs when there is a sudden lack of blood flow to a limb.[1]

Acute limb ischaemia is caused by embolism or thrombosis, or rarely by dissection or trauma.[2] Thrombosis is usually caused by peripheral vascular disease (atherosclerotic disease that leads to blood vessel blockage), while an embolism is usually of cardiac origin.[3] In the United States, ALI is estimated to occur in 14 out of every 100,000 people per year.[4] With proper surgical care, acute limb ischaemia is a highly treatable condition; however, delayed treatment (beyond 6 to 12 hours) can result in permanent disability, amputation, and/or death.

In contrast to acute limb ischemia, chronic limb threatening ischemia results from peripheral artery disease that develops over time. While limbs in both acute and chronic limb ischemia may be pulseless, a chronically ischemic limb is typically warm and pink due to a well-developed collateral artery network and does not need emergency intervention to avoid limb loss.[5]

The New Latin term ischaemia as written, is a British version of the word ischemia, and stems from the Greek terms ischein 'to hold'; and haima 'blood'.[6] In this sense, ischaemia refers to the inhibition of blood flow to/through the limb.